what's the best .380 pocket pistol?

This is a discussion on what's the best .380 pocket pistol? within the Defensive Carry Guns forums, part of the Defensive Carry Discussions category; Originally Posted by LUV2CARRY
I've been doing a lot of researched on the .380 for my wife. All the guns mentioned so far seem to ...

View Poll Results: what's the best .380 pocket pistol on the market today?

I've been doing a lot of researched on the .380 for my wife. All the guns mentioned so far seem to be a good choice, but I'm currently considering the CZ83. The tolerances are very tight, all steel with great accuracy reviews. Any comments on the CZ's are welcomed. I just ordered the CZ75 Shadow Target for competition.

CZ and Sig - it's a toss up. I'm getting an itch for a CZ 75 compact just talking about it.

I really do like the Sig and I love shooting them when they come through the classes I help with. But, I've got to say for the $$$, I just don't think you can beat the accuracy & reliability of the BG.

The only negative I give a BG is the "trigger". It will take some time to get used to it. But, once you do it's EXTREMELY accurate whether you use the sights or the laser.

BTW: the BG "sights" is what really sold me on this little gun! I personally think they're the best in it's class. (I wear progressive lenses; and I can get a BETTER sight picture with the BG sights than I can any of the other "factory" sights.)

I voted for the Sig P238. The Kahr P380 would be a very close second though. The rest not in their league. Also the Seecamp .380 would be up there also if you are looking the the deepest concealment .380.

I really do like the Sig and I love shooting them when they come through the classes I help with. But, I've got to say for the $$$, I just don't think you can beat the accuracy & reliability of the BG.

The only negative I give a BG is the "trigger". It will take some time to get used to it. But, once you do it's EXTREMELY accurate whether you use the sights or the laser.

BTW: the BG "sights" is what really sold me on this little gun! I personally think they're the best in it's class. (I wear progressive lenses; and I can get a BETTER sight picture with the BG sights than I can any of the other "factory" sights.)

I dislike small .380 pistols as a class of handguns. I have a Kel Tec P3AT but feel the Ruger LCP is a better looking rendition of the same design. The SIG P238 is probably the most nicely done .380 of the whole lot mentioned on the poll list. I've shot one and it was fine, reminiscent for the Colt Pocketlite, but is a bit larger which could be important if compactness is desired.

I do my very best to leave the P3AT home in favor of something larger, more accurate, and more effective. It stays home a lot.

Whatever you buy and like and have confidence it---THAT IS THE BEST 380! This is like the old wine or cigar question. What is the difference between a $2 cigar and a $10 cigar or what is the difference between a $4 bottle of wine or a $40 bottle of wine. The answers are obvious----$8 and $36. If you like it and are happy with it, it is the best. Nice to get opinions but you gotta use your own head and due diligence instead of relying on faceless people.

As an update to those who have been breathlessly awaiting a progress report on the testing of my replacement P380, another 100 rounds of my preferred Speer Lawman TMJ have been successfully fired, totaling just over 200 consecutive malfunction-free shots with this particular load, following about 150 trouble-free shots of various FMJ and HP rounds. So my particular P380 is probably as reliable as any P380, and will consider carrying it, if I cannot manage concealing a .38 Special snub, or something larger.

However, due to the numerous malfunctions (with FMJ) during the first hundred rounds fired, and the 550 rounds wasted on the original frame, I hesitate to give my P380 an unqualified endorsement, and will have to similarly extensively test any other load, FMJ or HP, I may consider in the future.

I will caution friends and colleagues to be prepared to drop a couple of C-notes on test ammunition, and even more should they happen to acquire another of the similarly defective frames still out there (I haven’t heard of any recalls). I believe this piece is potentially far superior to the Ruger LCP or S&W Bodyguard .380 et. al., and someday could well prove to be worth its premium price, but not with its current issues.

I guess I was lulled into a false sense of security, because after few months of idle residence in my safe, my factory-replacement Kahr P380 began to behave just like its predecessor (and yes, it was properly clean and lubed). Particularly frequent was a tendency for the slide to lock back prematurely. The slide stop is operated by a bent wire spring secured by a bushing and tiny TORX screw. That screw appears to be simply driven into the polymer frame. I tightened it and the gun's reliability improved enough that I could trade it in good conscience, but I'm sure it will again loosen. This unimpressive engineering arrangement is, I believe, common to all Kahrs, whether polymer or stainless steel-framed.

After 400 rounds, I'm finding my new .32 ACP Seecamp is infinitely more reliable, has a superior trigger and is much more impressive in its all-metal construction. The Kahr .380 had great (tritium) sights (Seecamps have no sights at all) and much milder perceived recoil, despite its larger caliber. (The .380 ACP Seecamp's recoil must be REALLY snappy!) However, all the Kahr P380's better features are trumped by my Seecamp's infinitely superior reliability (as long as you follow Seecamp's specific ammunition guidelines).